Back when the shitstorm surrounding Kristi Diehm, plagiarist, aka The Story Siren¹, broke out, I posted about apologies, and how I think it’s useless to expect–or indeed to receive–an apology from a plagiarist. Like many other offenders, said apologies tend to be of the “fuck, I’m sorry I got caught” variety. Or, much worse, they include so many excuses, explanations, rationalizations and justifications that in the end, to many an uncritical follower/fan, they read like a justification to hate on the victims of the plagiarist.

Anywho, Kristi Diehm, plagiarist, seems to be just that clueless and stupid.

She invited YA author Sarah Cross to write a guest post to kick of the week, but ‘forgot’ to post any sort of introduction to the event or, indeed, Ms Cross’s post. When called on it, an introductory post appeared, which reads in part:

How did it happen? I’m not really sure I realized I’d crossed the line I’d been so adamant against, but I did. I suppose it happened because there was something I wanted to say, and I couldn’t find the right words to say it. I was asked a question about a blogging topic and went in search of inspiration. I came across a couple of posts that seemed like I could have written them myself — they expressed exactly what I wanted to, in the way that I wanted to. I wanted to make it relevant to book bloggers. I knew I couldn’t use their words — not exactly as written — so I added words of my own and subtracted a few of theirs. In my mind, I had done enough to make it mine; it was my voice. But I was wrong. I screwed up.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I don’t see why plagiarism wont just happen in this day an age, everything has been done once already, it’s very rare a story or some music doesn’t in some way copy a previous idea.

Patents is basically the software world version of handling “plagiarism”, but all it does is killing innovation. I don’t want to see artist too afraid to create music, books and other art because something has already been done.

Unique is overrated anyway, truly awesome comes from taken something and making it better.

I think her most recent statement is closer to an honest admission than the others, but it might be too late at this point. I’m also skeptical about the timing issue. She lied before (by saying she didn’t remember visiting the sites she lifted content from), so it’s kind of hard to believe her now. And if she’s still lying to her readers and trying to cover her tracks, she hasn’t learned anything.

Another problem I have with her new excuse is that she still seems confused about what constitutes plagiarism. Even if she’d changed *every* word of the posts, she would have had to cite the idea source. Which she knows, unless she plagiarised her own post on plagiarism.

Okay, so that said, I’m not sure why you’re calling for her to make a proper apology because it would mean nothing to you. Even if she addressed the fan-bullying, took full responsibility, and made amends, she’d still be a plagiarist who doesn’t deserve forgiveness in your eyes, is that right?

@Jill Sorenson: Ms Sorenson, I am not calling on Kristi Diehm to apologize.

My comment, and the further comments I’ve made on her posts today (I’m weak), are meant to highlight her hypocrisy.

As for whether a person deserves forgiveness, I would say that it depends on whether there is honest, sincere, heartfelt regret. To quote Jessica@RRR,

A restorative apology is not focused on the self, but on re-building community.

Haven’t seen that, by a long shot, in any of Kristi Diehm’s actions from the moment she first trolled Beautifully Invisible and Grit and Glamour, back late last year.

YMMV, and I’m sure I come across as unfeeling and rigid on this issue. Considering how many apologists there are for people who willfully harm others, I’m okay with being on the other end.

(Please note I am not calling Ms Sorenson herself an apologist on behalf on Kristi Dieahm. I am stating what I see as a fact: there are many people happy to jump in defense of perpetrators and willing to further victimize victims.)

I almost posted… but at my age I am quite jaded and too much of cynic to believe that I would accomplish anything by doing so. A lot of the responses to your posts, AZ, show, again, that people only take bits and pieces of what is being said, selectively, and most don’t even stop to think about what the opposing side is saying. They don’t know the meaning of the word “plagiarism” so how could I expect that they would understand the meaning of the word “bullying”… even when there is some much being said about “bullying” these days. I was the victim of bullying myself, and that aspect of this scandal is what has me truly disturbed, even more so than the thieving act itself, I have to admit.

@AztecLady: I read Jessica’s post several weeks ago and I don’t understand the concept of a “restorative apology” as well as I’d like to. But if we’re talking about the healing of a community, and a significant number of members of that community can’t forgive TSS no matter what, I don’t see how any kind of apology or action from her will make a difference. Maybe a restorative apology would entail more of a reaching out on her part (I’d definitely recommend that she speak to her fans about bullying and apologize more directly) AND a willingness to accept the gesture on the other end. Actually, I think that’s what she might be trying to do with this week-long event, but I feel that it got off on the wrong foot.

Ms Sorenson, I’m not an ethicist so I won’t try to explain what Jessica may or may not have meant.

What I see/perceive from Kristi Diehm’s phrasing and behaviour (situation normal! giveaways! silence on the topic of her victims being bullied and threatened! bubbly chirpy blog posts!) doesn’t hint at regret or remorse.

What she (and others) call apologies, are all about Kristi. Her state of mind. Her anguish. Her pain. Her so-called “mistakes” that “just happened.” It’s all about explaining and justifying herself.

I don’t see anything in those apologies that acknowledges the willful nature of her actions.

Yeah, I don’t call what that woman has posted an “apology” per se. It’s a justification, she states she’s wrong; but the fact that she interposes excuses, and the inclusion of a statement that was completely and utterly disgusting, implying that EVERYONE has walked that line or has considered to do so, was adding insult to injury. That latest bit included in her intro to that alleged series of articles on plagiarism was no apology, it was another justification: if everyone else does it, why is it so bad that she did it.

@AZ: I suspect that may be the case. She’s at the point in which she actually believes she’s the victim, enabled by her misguided friends.